


Returned

by female_overlord_3



Category: The Old Guard (Movie 2020)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, F/F, Family Reunions, I love Quynh she's mine now, Immortal Husbands, Immortal Wives, M/M, Minor Character Death, Rescue, author has no idea how to tag this, booker/copley still make me soft, but like they can't die so, everyone is a happy crying mess, immortal James Copley, no one is straight here okay, the new three bond over night terrors
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-14
Updated: 2020-08-14
Packaged: 2021-03-06 05:48:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,419
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25838326
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/female_overlord_3/pseuds/female_overlord_3
Summary: The three who lost a vital part of their family and the three who are haunted by what was done to her.
Relationships: Andy | Andromache of Scythia/ Quynh | Noriko, Booker | Sebastien le Livre/James Copley, Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani/Nicky | Nicolò di Genova
Comments: 10
Kudos: 78





	Returned

**Author's Note:**

  * For [caitlesshea](https://archiveofourown.org/users/caitlesshea/gifts), [AlxSteele](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlxSteele/gifts).



> This is a companion piece to caitlesshea's work ["the way you showed me care"](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25672150?view_adult=true) that utterly ruined me like no- I am ruined, I thought Nicky and Joe did that but Booker/Copley just hits different. The Old Guard as a whole is just living rent free in my head. Good for them.

It's when Nile starts having dreams of Quynh, as the ones about who she killed become lost to the fury and insanity that Quynh has become, does she try to talk to Andy about looking for their lost immortal. It's only been a month after everything.

She barely gets the words out before Andy storms off without a word. Nile tries to follow but Nicky stops her, a firm hand on her shoulder.

"It's too soon Nile." He murmurs and she wants to argue but she sees the pain in his eyes. "She cannot take another failed search. There was a reason we stopped." 

The words turn around in her head until she takes his hand in hers.

"You thought she died."

"Until Booker gasped awake like he needed air as he pleaded to know who the woman he kept dreaming about drowning was."

Joe's arms help ease the dread from Niles realization as he brings both her and Nicky close. His voice sounding tried from both the reminder of Booker and that day forever burned into his memory from the utter shock and grief.

Nicky leans heavily into Joe and sighs. "It was a fools hope to believe so, to want her to be at peace instead of torture the whole time." He offers before going quiet, Joe easily continuing where Nicky left off.

"We think that is what broke our Andy. The world continuing to show us its worst just kept chipping away at her, bit by bit but realizing that Quynh was still down there…"

"She couldn't keep fighting. She stopped." Nile finished.

They both nod.

Nile doesn't ask again and does her best to keep herself quiet when she does have a dream of Quynh but she also starts to grow more determined after each dream.

She calls Copley a weeks later.

He does what he can between compiling missions for them to take and covering their tracks but the small mention of Booker makes her pause in interest. She gets a simple _he's fine_ and _not to worry_ which makes her do anything but until the day she dreams of Copley and Booker eating dinner together and their bodies close as they kiss before the gargled screams of Quynh jolt her awake. For once she's not gasping for air but the feeling from Quynh felt different, felt less like Nile was going insane and more controlled. She doesn't know if that's good or bad.

They travel to Copleys the next day and once everyone's settled, Nile goes to ask what he's found.

He swallows hard and hands her the tablet with what he has so far. "Nothing new as of yet. It takes time to get certain funds and support to search the ocean for an 'unknown treasure'. It brings certain crowds we want to avoid."

Booker eventually joins them and raises a brow when they both switch topics to a certain artist Nile was fascinated about when she studied art in college before signing up.

"I know I said Quyhn was a sore topic for the others… but I did try to do my own personal search in hope to end the dreams and her suffering."

He digs through his bag and sets a journal between them.

Nile rolls her eyes when Copley looks fondly at Booker but grins.

"Alright boys lets find Quynh."

It sadly takes longer than they'd like, closer to nearly 5 months before even pinpointing a designated area but it's a start.

~

It's something they talk about in the late of night when one then all wake from a dream of Quynh.

Booker has had to endure the dreams the longest but both Copley and Nile know that doesn't mean much when his usual methods are to not sleep deep enough to dream or drink so much his body is too busy healing him in his sleep. 

Copley helps the most when he wakes before Booker and holds him close, anchors him to the present instead of the sea. They tried to take turns when sleeping but that didn't last past the third day when the dreams aren't every night and some nights they're too lost in discovering more about each other.

Nile usually goes to their room when she wakes but then goes there when she needs a break from Andy and the few times Joe and Nicky as well, to breathe and recenter from all this new she's been trying to adapt to. 

The non-dream related visits she knocks before barging in but sometimes it's more fun to watch them scramble to cover themselves on certain nights. Nicky and Joe have no shame sometimes which is more embarrassing then fun.

She's technically the youngest so she's having fun fulfilling that role of being the baby and shed being the older sibling for a bit.

Though Booker is past 200 years old, he's now starting to fully accepting his immortality and that though he feels old, he's still young. Thankfully not new but still young and only now starting to make peace with his grief.

He's grateful for James, for helping him try and find what Booker thought he wanted, wanted but not what he needed. James was what they all needed to set up Nile to be the catalyst. For him and Andy to start living again. For him and James to start healing their bleeding hearts. For Joe and Nicky to ease their worries for their family that hasn't stopped hurting, the pain they had to let go to keep Andy going then Booker as well.

The three who lost a vital part of their family and the three who are haunted by what was done to her.

The dreams start to happen more frequent. The desperation for air, to be free, the constant want to be warm in the light of the sun instead of cold, dark, and trapped. It causes them to huddle close, Nile sharing their bed whenever the dreams happen but the insanity and fury from before has waned. 

There's no longer the consuming hopelessness that takes time to shake after waking. Now it's anticipation, the want to be free yes but now knowing it might be possible.

Quynh knows they're looking for her and it just motivates them even more to bring her home.

The day they get a confirmed location Andy is out the door and driving to the nearest dock before Nile finishes saying Quynh's name. Their search for Quynh an open secret but kept between just them to not pain the others.

They all scramble into Copleys car and try to catch up but even then they just barely miss the boat Andy finds.

The time it takes to get there Andy has been pacing non-stop after Booker took the wheel from her. He and Copely make sure they're on the right course while going as fast as the boat can handle.

Once the boat came to a stop over where Quynh should be, Joe has to tackle Andy when she was seconds away from jumping overboard to get to Quynh. She's screaming and fighting Joe, Nicky, and Nile, just barely stopping herself from actually killing them all but the longer they keep her onboard, the more vicious she gets.

It's Booker and Copley who dive in while the others keep Andy from killing herself before she can be reunited with Quynh. They dive in with just their underwear, goggles, and a small air tank to share not only for the journey down but for Quyhn's return to the surface.

It's been a good 15 minutes of Andy kicking their ass and finding the right second to finally slip past them and launch herself into the sea.

"Fuck I'll go after her, keep the boat anchored if it already isn't!" Nile yells before quickly stripping her shirt and jeans to go after Andy with the hope she hasn't drowned already.

Two sets of goggles and a tank of air sink past her as she pushes herself to get to Andy. She chases it and uses the weight to get her just a bit quicker to Andy who's starting to slow.

Nile grabs her once in reach and shoves the mouthpiece into Andy's mouth, fighting the dizziness until Andy's taken enough air for Nile to take her own. She hands Andy the goggles, though both of theirs have water in them, and grabs tight to her wrist so they stay together.

It's a torturous amount of time until they start getting deep enough they can barely see, the trail of bubbles their only guide.

Then more bubbles and the blurry vision of movement before them until Andy takes a deep breath of air from the tank and swims as hard as she can until that blurry movement becomes a solid person and it's Quynh in Booker and Copley's arms then in hers as she holds her tight.

Hands grab onto her to guide her back to the surface and the mouthpiece is shoved at her face for air she probably needs but she ignores all of it. All that matters now is that Quynh is here and in her arms. Quynh is free and alive and here. Andy finally feels alive again. She doesn't care if she's mortal and she might not make it to the surface alive. If the price of Quyhn's freedom is Andy's life then so be it, Andy wasn't even using hers, not with Quynh gone from her side. If the last thing she sees before succumbing to her final death is Quynh finally by her side again then she can die in peace.

Then the darkness takes her just as the last of her air leaves.

~

"- _wake up! Why isn't she- Andromache you can't leave me. WAKE UP_!"

Andy is being shaken and her chest aches as hands push against it and- her eyes open as she coughs up water to bright sunlight and hands now on her face- those hands.

She blinks the water from her eyes and latches onto those hands.

Andy's eyes won't clear though and she needs to see.

" _Andromache calm. Breathe. And stop moving your ribs_ _need more time to heal._ "

Andy didn't think or feel like she deserved to hear that voice again.

" _Don't care I can't see. Why can't I-_ " she croaks. She shouldn't be able to slip back into their language so easily but it's like the box she kept it in for safekeeping was smashed open.

" _You're crying like I'm crying so stop crying so you can see me._ " Andy can hear the teasing grin but it just makes her cry harder.

" _I've been waiting long enough to see your face in the flesh once again._ "

"Can someone translate for me?"

"That's older than us Nile."

Andy finally blinks away enough tears to see Quyhn. A broken sound leaves her and she's crying again. She feels raw and brittle as chilled hands wipe away the tears that won't stop.

" _I like the new one. Fierce. Hopefully in a couple of weeks I can learn her language properly."_

Quynh strokes her wet hair out of the way and presses a kiss to Andy's forehead.

" _Calm my Andromache. Be at peace. I am here. We are together again."_

Quynh is holding her close and gently like no time has passed. Andy can't understand it. Quynh should be mad, furious, betrayed that Andy stopped looking. She broke their promise and let Quynh stay down there for nearly 500 years. She was the reason they got found and captured. They should've stopped after the last-

" _Stop. It is the past. We are here. NOW. I no longer hold my anger or rage. I am found. They found me. Please."_ Andy clings tighter to her when her voice turns pleading. " _Be here with me. Let us live again."_

Taking a shuddering breath Andy holds it in, with all her pain and grief and the fear this might not be real, then let's it out.

" _Together till the end. For as long as I have left."_

Quyhn's face turns confused and flicks her eyes to the side.

" _What does she mean? Why does she say she has no time when she's come back from drowning with me?"_ She grabs Andy's wrist and squeezes to leave the imprint of her hand that goes red to purple to yellow before disappearing.

"What?"

"Oh thank god she can heal again."

Andy turns to look at Nile who's kneeling next to her right side.

Nile reaches between Quyhn and her to lift her shirt that reveals nearly clear skin with the faintest scar of where Booker shot her.

"I'm- I'm immortal again." She turns back to Quyhn who's frowning at her in annoyance and the smallest hint of fear.

" _I'm immortal again._ "

She sits up and smiles so wide as her hands slide down to wrap around Quynh's waist.

" _I get more time with you._ "

" _We deserve more time don't you think. Now get up and translate for me so I can meet the new ones. I only picked up some words in my lucid moments."_

Andy really doesn't want to but Quynh has waited this long to meet Booker and now Nile and Copley.

"Quynh wants to meet you new ones. Come."

Booker is the most hesitant to get closer, the new guilt of stopping his own search and that he nearly cost Andy and the others the chance to find Quynh by being locked up with Merrick. It's only the grounding weight of James hand on his lower back leading him closer, a burning warmth against the chilling saltwater that still sticks to most of them.

Quynhs eyes land on his first and to finally see her free of her iron prison and actually smiling nearly cracks him open. For so long Booker has shared her pain and fear and hopelessness, something he's realizing might've tainted his new life as an immortal. To finally be free of it brings him to his knees as he and Quynh embrace tightly.

" _Sebastein it's nice to finally meet you. Let us be free and live now, yes?"_ She strokes her free hand through his wet hair, the need to sooth for what both of them have endured for so long.

He knows only his name from what she says but he understands the meaning behind everything else.

"She says it's nice to finally meet you." Andy translates. "She wants you to be free and live now."

Booker nods and buries his face in Quynh's neck as they cry. Tears of relief and pain and joy spilling out to ease the pressure overflowing within.

He and Andy stay latched to her side as Quynh turns to look at Nile.

" _Nile. Thank you for saving us all. Thank you for finding me. You're exactly what my Andromache needed to believe again. The stubborn mule she is."_

"Hey now while I agree, I'm much prettier than a mule. Nile she's thanking you for saving us and finding her, for helping me believe again." Andy's teasing tone goes soft as she and Quynh look at Nile with warm gratitude.

"No thanks needed I'm just glad you're up here and not down there anymore. I'm not gonna miss those dreams."

" _She says no gratitude needed and that she's happy you're up here and no longer haunting her dreams."_

_"I see there's at least one humble being among us. The newest one, Copley. Is that his real name or does he and Sebastein share the use of additional names as well as each other?"_

A small laugh escapes from Andy as she replies back.

 _"I'm sure he can introduce himself._ Copley your turn."

Copley slowly kneels in the space next to Booker and let's a hand stroke up and down his back to provide some additional comfort.

"James Copley. It's great to officially meet you Quynh." He bows his head respectfully and waits for Andy to translate.

" _James. It is nice to finally meet you as well."_

Copley grins at the sound of his name and leans closer to Booker as all of them start to tire from the adrenaline crash.

Towels are draped across them and they all look to Nicky who leans over Andy to press his forehead to Quynh's, a sigh of relief at the touch.

" _Oh my dear Quynh I've missed you."_

She knocks their foreheads together in greeting and the last language they shared still somewhat fresh in her mind.

_"Nicolo I'm glad to know your cooking has gotten even better. I demand a feast once we're on land."_

That gets a watery laugh from him as he kisses her forehead and smiles fondly behind her.

_"A feast and more you'll have. After we can finally run away and leave these two. The children can take care of them while we elope!"_

Quyhn's bright laughter brings a smile to everyone as she leans back into Joe's chest. He wraps one arm around Andy and the other across Booker to lay his hand on Copley.

" _Oh Yusuf but then they'll be so sad and we usually don't last more than a day before needing them at our side."_

Quyhn tilts her head to press a kiss to his tear tracked cheeks before wiggling away from all of them.

" _We are wet and I'm sure uncomfortable. Let us dry and change."_ She says as she all but tears off the outfit she has worn for too long.

An incredibly soft and warm towel is wrapped around her but she frowns at Andy before her still in her soaked clothes.

" _Will you not grace me with the sight of your bare body after so long?"_

Her brows lift in a suggestive way and she giggles when Andy scoops her up in her arms.

" _After. I'm sure we're gonna need some time to adjust to having you back. I'm very excited to show you how the world has changed._ "

Andy and Quynh go inside the small cabin to dry off and leave the others to get them home.

Nile, Booker, and Copley are drying off as Joe hands them clothes and Nicky leaves a bag of fruit for them to snack on as the three lean against each other in exhaustion.

He and Joe help them to the small bench to be a bit more comfortable before heading to the helm to start the journey home.

Nile throws off her soaked sports bra and underwear to slip on the hoodie she suspects is Joe's and the pair of sweats she claimed once she was able to get her own clothes.

Booker holds tight to her hand once she's done with his head resting in Copley's lap, neither moving to change yet.

A deep sigh racks through Booker's body that spreads through Nile and James as well. It's like they can finally breathe.

"We did it."

Nile whispers as she slumps back against the cabin frame.

"Yes we did." Booker squeezes her hand and presses closer to Copley to fully melt against him. "Means I can finally sleep. Wake me once we're home James."

"I'll wake you when I think you've gotten enough sleep. Rest dear."

The calm rocking of the boat quickly sends Booker to sleep with Nile following almost right after.

Copley smiles down at them and leans his head back for a moment, just to rest his eyes and then he's asleep too.

It's Quynh who wakes them, a large black shirt and grey soft sweatpants now on her. First Nile then Copley who gently wakes Booker.

"Group hug. Yes?"

Booker opens his arms without thought but Quynh shakes her head.

"No. Inside. Soft and nice."

All three nod still a bit drowsy as they follow Quynh inside the cabin, a human train who all collapses on Andy's sleeping form.

"Assholes." She grumbles but falls back asleep once Quynh is in her arms.

"That was really good English Quynh."

Nile gives her a thumbs up in-case the translation doesn't make sense yet. The big grin and thumbs up back makes Nile content enough to fall back asleep.

Everyone deserves some rest now. Actual rest where everyone is here, safe and close. The sea is below them and no longer an internal cage. Grief, fear, hopelessness, guilt, and the pain that chipped away at each of them doesn't weigh them down anymore. It sunk away while they floated back up.

There are no more dreams for a very long time.

**Author's Note:**

> Yes they have a big feast and surprisingly it's Quynh and Copley who become thick as thieves. Yes I was weak and made Andy immortal again SHE DESERVES TO GET SOME TIME WITH HER WIFE OKAY.


End file.
